Enslaved: Prologue
by brownschlaiglem
Summary: What happened before Monkey became trapped, Enslaved? All morals come from somewhere.  Who is this phantom?
1. Prologue

**I do not own any of the characters developed by the creators/designers of Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, but I do own the concept of them before the developer's story, all other characters belong to me. **

**Please respect this ownership. ****  
I am sure that he isn't in character here; but if you have an opinion on how I'd be able to improve on that, I'd welcome it. Positive feedback is appreciated, and as it is my first time, my work will be (very) raw. **

**Thanks for reading.**

His world, this world was empty, bare of meaning, purpose. Nothing could make him feel more than this, this sorrow. They were gone, all of them. Why, who? He had let his own morals slip through his fingers, but when? It was him, not them, who should have suffered. But who was them? It should have been him. It had to be him. This was hell, his time on earth done. No one could live feeling like this. This had to be hell. They, she, still haunted his dreams. "I'll wait for you."

Those same words over and over again, muttered through the faceless ghosts of his dreams. Why did he feel this way? Why, who? 'I know that voice, those voices that ring like heaven. Is this hell? Who are you, my phantoms? Why don't I know you, why can't I remember?'

Fear clung to his breathe as he hugged his back to the shadowed wall, and clasped his head in his hands, lips curled back into a twisted grimace, brows knitted together. His knees pressed hard against his bare scarred chest. Pain swelled across his back like a turbulent, violent wave, his grip tightened around his head, a ragged sigh of air hissed through his bared teeth as his knees drew in closer, suffocating his heart. A cool brush of air pierced through the stifling darkness, grazing his shoulder like soft finger tips. "I'll wait for you."

Angry, he slashed at the air snarling, fending off an invisible foe, struggling, clawing for some frail life-line. Left blinded by an unknown hate and guilt, that gnawed away at him sapping his strength, eventually in restless defeat he rested his forehead on his arms, now crossed over his knees. The chorus of voices stopped briefly and for a moment there was silence, time held still, waiting for him to answer, for the one he didn't have. "Kai..."

His saddened eyes contracted in dim recognition to the name, and drearily he lifted his head, uncertain if the name was addressing him or another, it didn't matter.

She crouched, inches away from him, a concerned look creasing the soft lines of her face. Her cool blue-grey eyes staring deep into his diffused skylight eyes, haunting them. "Why-are you sad Kai?"

He could feel her chilled breath graze his opposing skin, and instinct told him to run, to fight, to hide, but something about those eyes, her eyes, held him, his heart in place. His mind seemed to dull, become stable, tamed. There was no threat in her eyes, just peace, hope, and a faint and distant sadness. But that sadness seemed unbearably close to him, familiar. Something else was in her eyes. Loss.

He parted his lips as if to speak, but he couldn't force out the answer, and his eyes sunk to look at the bitter ground beneath him, closed in defeat. Something inside held him back, but perhaps he did not have an answer, and seeing his internal struggle the girl, without resistance from him, rested a hand gently on his arm. It felt cold, and yet at the same time her touch was comforting, familiar. "Can you forgive me-Kai?"

Caught by the stillness of the question he looked up before him to see her, sad. A silvery tear cut down her pale face, like a glistening bolt of lightning, and though he did not know why he reached out gently to catch it before it joined her scar. But as his fingers grazed her soft, cold skin, her form shattered into a billion glowing fireflies that for a moment they hovered before him like burning stars, there was a certain melancholy in the sight, and he paused, arm extended, the tear caught against his warm skin sparkling with dim life. There was a warm suppleness in the radiance of the fireflies and he felt drawn to it, carefully he extended his palm in a calm curiosity, to find one light down on it. There was a slight tingling sensation as it traced the lines on his palm and a small familiar smile parted from his lips. 'Wing.'

There was a soft rush of air as the softness of the name warmed him, melting his frozen heart, he closed his eyes and relished the sensation for a moment, letting a sigh escape, joining the growing breeze. There was a faint tinkling of whistling chimes, and the tingling faded, he opened his eyes to find her spirit gone from his side, leaving him empty again, though the anger was no longer there.

The creeping darkness around him had subsided, retreated into itself, and in the distance of the sky he could see her light gather and dissipate into a billion stars joining the others, the sight caused a internal release, and he felt as if he was letting something precious go, but why this sensation?

In his pocket he could feel the familiar lump of the locket grow warm, compelling him to hold its fragile significance. It was a strange piece of work that was foreign in a vague and familiar way, silvery and round, full like the moon. Cautiously he traced his fingers along its surface, feeling the small circular scars engraved into its back and front. Like him. But there was a peculiar scar that seemed to cut to the core, dark and compelling, curious he gently placed his nail into the crevice and pushed. In response the locket clicked open and to his surprise a soothing melody seeped out of it like silky liquid, flowing into the depth of his memories, bringing them to the surface.

Painfully his memories flashed before his eyes, and bellowed like trumpets in his ears, unforgotten. A scream caught in his throat, he was frozen, trapped in a painful reality. His muscles strained to move, his mind disorientated confused, his body convulsed, physically trying to push back the creeping darkness. They came back, were back. "Kai."-"Thank you."-"Do you think?"-"That we...""Will we?"-"Let's meet again.""Play again.""Together." "When this is over..."

Seeing them, those faces, those memories, choked the very stars from the skies, and blackened his heart. An overwhelming sadness strangled its way around him and he fell into unconsciousness, taken by the darkness that rebuilt the ice around his heart by the guilt and the pain. By his hand the locket fell, fainted from his fingers, and with a gentle crack the fragile music stopped as its silvery encasement hit the bitter ground, broken.

In the distance a lone star fell from the heaven's, beside him the locket died.

Engraved inside the locket were the words, _Dearly Beloved_.

"Kai."

"I'll wait for you."

"We all will."

"Do you remember?"

"Will you remember?"

"Just try."

"To forget."


	2. Enslaved: Branch 1

**This is a random tidbit I thought of as I was watching a walkthrough of the game as I tried to reference their personalities for my actual story, though it can relate to my own. **

**This is shortly after the events of the headband. I didn't use their actual names yet because they themselves don't know what the others is. **

**Don't know if it will, but it might help if you watch the scene, at least to picture it.**

**Enjoy and thanks for reading. Feedback is appreciated.**

**P.S. Sorry it is so short, but I hope you enjoy it none the less.**

He paced, an attempt to let his adrenaline wear off. His ears sang with the violence of the battle, and he focused on the blurring distance, trying to stabilize his thoughts, to no avail, and his slavers presence did not help to wear away his energy. It fumed and bred into an untameable temper, he snapped.

"If we are gonna get through this. When I ask you to do something, you should do it, immediately!"

"Ok. I understand."

The look in her eyes caught him, calm and apologetic, such a familiar expression. Pain hummed softly across his burns, and he closed his eyes in disbelief, opening to find the spectre there still, remaining before him, a faint light amongst the choking oblivion of night. Long forgotten, she was Wing, and suddenly his headband was gone.

Her approach was soft, she herself dormant. The skin of her hand grazed his as a lulled breeze, imprinting him with cold. A memory.

'**Kai. You understand, don't you? Please, just protect them…'**

And she was gone. Leaving his head to throb in pain. The headband.

In recognition of the circumstance he shook his head, forcing his eyes shut. Allowing his thoughts to recollect, and organize. Before he called to the girl, he looked around, hope lingering in his heart, 'but why?'

He met the girl's sage eyes, with his own. Complacent.

"Let's go."

"Ok."


End file.
